ADAM Cornell completed a spirited fight-back by Bracknell Town to earn a 3-2 win at Thatcham in their FA Cup extra preliminary round tie, writes Dave Wright.

They will now visit Southern League side Egham in the preliminary round a week on Saturday, August 20.

The Robins twice trailed to the Kingfishers in front of a crowd of just over 100 at Waterside Park on Saturday.

But equalisers from Khalid Senussi and substitute Kennie Chamberlain left the scores level with 10 minutes remaining.

Then four minutes from time Adam Cornell took advantage of hesitation in the Thatcham defence to fire home the winner.

Cornell could easily have been on the score sheet much earlier, sending one shot dipping just inches over the bar and then having another effort cleared from just short of the line, while Jahson Downes also got into a couple of shots from distance.

But at times Bracknell looked a little jittery in defence and it needed an excellent low save by keeper Chris Grace to keep out a downward header by Shane Cooper-Clark.

Grace, however, was picking the ball out of the net shortly afterwards.

With the tie approaching the half-hour mark, Josh Helmore and Cooper-Clark set up the chance for right-back Jordan Seaward to score from close range just inside the right-hand post.

Cooper-Clark continued to cause his former club problems and the striker brushed off Lee Rushe before bringing out a fine save from Grace and Ashleigh James was also not far away from increasing the Kingfishers’ lead before interval.

Like the first half, Bracknell started the second half on the attack with Downes seeing his header brilliantly saved by Thatcham’s new keeper Curtis Meare.

Senussi was also playing in a more forward role and it was the wide-man who made it 1-1 on 56 minutes. Following good build-up play on the right, Cornell cut into the box before crossing to the far post, from where Senussi moved in to fire home.

But the visitors were only on terms for less than 10 minutes when calamity struck.

Centre-back Callum Whitty needlessly fouled Callum Willmoth in the back to concede a penalty, with Cooper-Clarke making no mistake from the spot, firing high into the left side of the net.

With some players starting to wilt in the heat, manager Mark Tallentire took off Joe Grant and Downes with Chamberlain and Ian Davies joining the tireless Cornell up front.

The substitutions paid off 10 minutes later when Chamberlain weaved his way through the home defence from the left flank before coolly slotting the ball past Meare.

A replay was beginning to look likely as the tie entered the last five minutes, but Cornell had other ideas.

Thatcham player-manager Gareth Thomas and Meare looked set to clear the danger down the right side of their penalty area, but they left it to each other and Cornell nipped in to roll the ball into the net for a dramatic late winner. He was booked for taking his shirt off to celebrate.

Tallentire said: “It was a great win for us and we are over the moon.

“There was not too much to choose between the two sides, but I thought we just about edged it .”

The Robins, who lost their league opener 3-1 at Flackwell Heath last Tuesday when their only goal came from Whitty, are away to Oxford City Nomads this Saturday.

Then next Tuesday (7.45pm) they take on Highmoor Ibis in their first game at their temporary home ground at Sandhurst Town’s Bottom Meadow.